A Simple Plan:
July 30, 2019
According to stats, roughly 7-8{524c0d59ef5fc562082d939ceb7990b2cf0fb0f51e3600b1a08f9eb113dfbbc8} of the U.S. population suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and a large percentage of these people are veterans who were left to cope with life after serving in the military. While this condition might seem hopeless, relief lies within our favorite support creatures: dogs.
PTSD is a disorder that results from one experiencing, witnessing or participating in a traumatic event. When one is suffering from this disorder, they will struggle to cope with everyday life following the trauma, and this not only means that they are unable to return to a normal life, but it is also likely to cause suicidal thoughts, and at times, actions.
Veterans who served in combat for the military are most likely to develop PTSD, considering that they see the battlefield as a traumatic experience. In terms of numbers, the number of veterans who suffer from PTSD differs depending on the era when they served. A good example is the Operation Iraq Freedom, where as much as 20{524c0d59ef5fc562082d939ceb7990b2cf0fb0f51e3600b1a08f9eb113dfbbc8} of veterans who served in the combat ended up suffering from PTSD. Cases of suicide are also common among veterans considering that such instances were reported at a rate of 6000 per year between 2008 and 2016.
In most cases, veterans who suffer from PTSD are left without adequate support that they need to cope with the situation. However, when such veterans take a PTSD service dog, it will help them cope with the symptoms or depression and anxiety. A PTSD service dog has been trained to help the veterans to cope with the life-altering impact of PTSD.
We usually benefit from unconditional love when we have dogs, but they will have greater benefits in the case of veterans battling PTSD. Most veterans have struggled to deal with the psychological effects of PTSD, even when they have the support of family or friends. Dogs usually offer unconditional love, considering that they can feel pain of humans and even offer unwavering, unselfish support, and this will help veterans cope with the struggles they face in life after serving in combat.
The decision to spend on a PTSD service dog will mean that a veteran can cope with emotional trauma, and this helps reduce the cost of medication and psychiatric care. Not only do the dogs provide unconditional love, but they are trained to help veterans with some functions such as taking medication and conquering emotional events. A PTSD service dog will deliver first-responder support for the veterans, and this helps them to rely less on medical experts.
A PTSD dog will also help lower suicide risk as well as the risk of mental breakdown. Most veterans are likely to divorce or separate after deployment, and this means that one will lack the necessary support when they are faced with dark emotions and racing thoughts, and this contributes to multiple mental breakdowns. A PTSD service dog will give support to the veteran, and this helps them to maintain healthy relationships and also live a normal life.